"So what do you think?" Mike mumbles into AJ's hair, idly stroking his fingers up and down her side as she breathes steadily against his chest. "Think Maryse and I have any chance at Royal Rumble?"
AJ hesitates for so long that Mike has to start laughing, jostling her as she huffs and swats at him. "I mean, you know I love you, Mike. But Maryse... against Beth? I... I don't really see how. You know? If you can stay in the ring against Edge, maybe. You've wrestled him recently, you know his weaknesses, and everything. Otherwise..." She bites her lip, shrugs. "Probably not."
"If only someone would come out of retirement and help me this one time," Mike sighs, overly dramatic and loud.
AJ sits up, rolls her eyes at him, and swats at him. "You know that's impossible," she reminds him. "My neck is too much of a mess, unless you-"
He quiets her with a kiss, hands gentle on her back as he guides her down into his warmth. "Yes, yes," he breathes out. "Trust me, I know." His touch is slow, careful as he rubs lightly at her neck, gliding carefully down her spine. "Feel good?"
"Always does," she sighs into his mouth, content to move, their fingers lacing together as she hums and guides him. "I love you."
"I love you too," he tells her, eyes fluttering as she kisses down his jaw, biting at his throat, nuzzling into his shoulder, pressing lower down his chest.
-x
The first thing Maryse says to him when she sees him that week is, "I need you to go run a couple errands for me."
It stops Mike short, honestly. He'd just landed, parked his rental, and now... she wants him to. What? Get back in the car and drive around to get makeup, and...?"
But she thrusts the list into his hand and suddenly things make sense. "Oh," he says, peering from the list up to her. "This is your plan tonight?"
"Yes. I'm going to say you're not here tonight, and invite Beth to the ring. But you have to be discreet and stay to our locker room," she informs him, poking him in the chest. "Can you do that once you're back with these things?"
He shrugs. "Yeah, sure." It's no big deal, maybe he'll text Morrison, or make sure that upcoming interviews are booked and scheduled properly. There's always something to do.
Careful not to be spotted, he backtracks to his car and leaves, heading first for the local Walmart- she hadn't wanted anything outrageously expensive, just something that would match her outfit. Then to the local Lowe's where the workers are perplexed but pleased enough to sell him a brick.
It fits the purse perfectly so he makes his way back to the arena, sneaking in during the opening pyro, and gets the makeshift weapon to her. She grins at him and prepares to go out when her cue comes, and he busies himself with phone calls and emails to set up the next couple weeks leading up to the Royal Rumble.
Maryse confronts Beth and it's going as well as Mike had expected, Edge chasing Mike out when he spots him. They're fighting when Maryse lays Beth out in the melee, the brick working just as they'd hoped. She laughs and clings to him as they make their way up the ramp, watching Edge trying to aid his wife, referees and medical staff surrounding them.
"Thank you, that was perfect, Mike," Maryse tells him with a grin on her face. "If all goes well, she won't be cleared and then you can get the rematch you deserve."
Mike blinks, thrown. "Thanks, Maryse. I hadn't really thought about that." But now that she's suggested it, it opens the floodgates for him and yeah, yeah he can picture it., Even AJ thinks he has a better chance this time around. "Thank you, that's perfect," he finally manages to say as she grips his hand and leads him to their locker room, not wanting to risk Edge's wrath right now.